Written by Kostas
When the Japanese underground decides to surface, the result is usually something more than distinctive. This time, Deathroll return and drag us into a landscape of absolute cold and psychological despair with their new album “A Woman Collapsing on the Glacier”.
If you’re looking for warmth, skip it. Here we’re talking about music born inside the glacier.
The Collapse of the Psyche
Released on February 25 via STF Records (distribution The Orchard), the album is a significant step of evolution for the band. Deathroll leave behind the classic forms and dive into a melodic Black Metal characterized by a cold, austere aesthetic.
The concept of the record is heavy: the void, grief and the gradual collapse of the human mind. This is ideally captured in the cover too, with the lonely figure of a woman bending over the endless ice. It’s one of those cases where the image prepares your ear for the chaos that follows.
When Schumann meets Black Metal
The album was recorded and mixed at Shadow Recording Studio, while mastering was handled by Izayoi, giving the sound the necessary crystalline yet rough texture.
The big “bet” of the record, though, comes at the end. Deathroll dare to cover Robert Schumann’s “Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54”. A risky move, but one that lends an unexpected classical dimension to their grim universe. The Black Metal version of Schumann isn’t just an experiment; it’s a demonstration of how classical music can “darken” in the right way.
INFO BOX
Album: A Woman Collapsing on the Glacier
Release Date: February 25
Label: STF Records
Genre: Melodic Black Metal
Origin: Japan
Official Links:
Watch the Single:
Kostas’s final word:
if you want something that breaks away from the usual, the Japanese here have done their work. Deathroll took Schumann and threw him into a glacier, producing a record that freezes your blood. Don’t expect melodies for relaxation; here we’re talking about Black Metal that confronts you with the void. Listen to “Schumann – Piano Concerto” and you’ll understand what creative madness means. Support the underground, wherever it comes from!
